[Free] How to Recover Permanently Deleted Folder in Windows 10

What to do if you accidentally delete the folder? Follow this page to learn how to easily recover deleted folder in Windows 10.

By @Lena Last Updated October 29, 2024
 

Recover Deleted Folder Windows 10 Not in Recycle Bin

I just deleted a favorites folder by mistake. I have checked the recycle bin but could not find the folder. How do I get it back? Some of the deleted documents are extremely important to me. If anyone please help I will be highly grateful.

- Question from Microsoft Community

Are you experiencing the same problem as this user? Accidentally deleted a folder containing some important files using the Shift + Delete shortcut, which makes it impossible to retrieve them from the Recycle Bin. Well, don’t worry too much, it is possible to recover permanently deleted folders in Windows 10, 11, 8, and 7.

These deleted folders are just marked as free space, waiting to be overwritten by new data. There are 4 other methods you can try to recover deleted folder in Windows 10 not in Recycle Bin. 

How to Recover Deleted Folders in Windows 10 Effectively

To recover deleted folders in Windows 10, there are some different ways you can try. If you prefer the easiest and quickest way, then Way 1 is recommended.

▶ Way 1. Recover Deleted Folder in Windows 10 via MyRecover

MyRecover is a professional data recovery tool for Windows computers, ensuring data security. It can help you recover deleted folders without backup in only a few steps no matter what data loss situation you encounter.

MyRecover
Powerful File Recovery Software
  • Available in all Windows operating systems like Windows 10/11/10/8/7 and Windows Server.
  • Provide 2 advanced scanning methods Quick Scan and Deep Scan.
  • More than 200 types of files can be recovered: Word documents, Excel, PPT, JPG, GIF, 3FR, MP3, MP4, MOV, VWM, ANI, ZIP, etc.
  • Support recovery from different storage devices like external/internal hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, and more.
  • Provide a clear graphical user interface and simple operating steps.

How to get back deleted folder in Windows 10? You can click the download button to get the tool and follow the steps.

Step 1. Find the location where you have deleted folders and click Scan.

Step 2. MyRecover automatically enables Quick Scan and Deep Scan, which will improve the efficiency of data recovery and you can see deleted files and folders here.

At this step, you can sort the scanned folders using the "Search for files or folders". 

Besides, you can use different filters to narrow the range of search results to find your files quickly:

  • Name: Enter the relevant filename of your desired files to quickly locate them.
  • Date modified: Set the date (today, yesterday, last 7/30 days, etc.)
  • Size: Set file size (<128KB, 128KB~1MB, 1MB~512MB, etc.)

Step 3. Finally,  select the folders you need to recover and click the Recover x files to start the recovery.

🌟Tips:
  • Please choose a new location to save your recovered folder and file, avoiding data overwriting.
  • MyRecover supports you to recover files for free, up to 500MB. To recover more files or folders, please consider upgrading to the advanced MyRecover edition.

▶ Way 2. Recover Deleted Folder in Windows 10 via File History

File History is one simple tool that can help you return your folders to an earlier version.

Step 1. Click Start > Enter “restore files” in the search bar and hit Enter.

Step 2. Look for the folder where your deleted folder was stored.

Step 3. Click the Restore button and it will undelete the folder to its original location.

▶ Way 3. Recover Deleted Folder in Windows 10 from Windows Backup

If you have backed up your computer beforehand, then you can try to recover deleted folder in Windows 10 via the Backup and Restore utility.

Step 1. Click the Start menu > Select Control Panel > Choose System and Maintenance and select Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

Step 2. Choose Restore my files > Browse for folders to check the backup.

Step 3. Find and select the deleted folder you want to recover> Click Add Folder > Click Next.

Step 4. Select a path to save the folder > Click Restore.

▶ Way 4. Recover Deleted Folder in Windows 10 via Previous Versions

Previous Versions is one useful data recovery feature in Windows 10, which allows you to restore deleted files or folders to a previous state.

Step 1. Click the Start button > Choose Computer.

Step 2. Select the hard disk drive or the folder that used to contain the deleted folder.

Step 3. Right-click the drive or folder and select Restore previous versions.

Step 4. Choose a previous version that contains the folder to be restored.

Step 5. Click Open > Open in File History to verify the version contains the deleted folder you want to restore.

Step 6. Go back and click Restore to get back your deleted folder.

Bonus: How to Avoid Losing Important Folders

It’s lucky if you can recover deleted folder via one of the methods above. However, it won't always be so lucky, you know. To prevent the folder from being lost again, you’d better make a backup.

The tools that come with Windows 10 only allow you to back up specific disks. If you want to backup some important folders, AOMEI Backupper, one free backup software can help you achieve that goal.

It allows you to set custom schedule backup and then it will automatically backup your folder daily/weekly/monthly. This way, you can quickly retrieve lost folders in case of a system crash, hard drive failure, virus infection, etc.

  • Download Backupper and launch it.
  • Choose Backup > Select File Backup.
  • Click Add Folder to select the folder you want to make a backup.

  • Select a location to save the backup > Click Schedule to set the schedule task > Finally, click Start Backup.

Final Words

There are 4 ways that can help you recover deleted folder in Windows 10 not the recycle bin. If you want to save time and energy, MyRecover is a better choice. The tool will scan your disk and find the deleted folder automatically, while the other 3 tools require you to follow the steps in the wizard to find the deleted folder manually.

FAQs of Recovering Deleted Folder from Windows 10

How do I recover permanently deleted folders?
 
The answer is NO. But you can choose to clone HDD to SSD with the same size to get better performance, especially when the used space is less than the size of the HDD. If you don't have enough budget, cloning a large HDD to a smaller SSD will be a better choice.
How do I recover a file I accidentally deleted?
 
If your file or folder is deleted accidentally, you can first go to the recycle bin to see if it exists. If not, please consider other file recovery methods mentioned on this page.
Are permanently deleted files really gone?
 
Generally, permanently deleted files and folders can be recovered if you have not added any new data to the folder any more.